I'm a bit of an Edward Marston fan so was delighted to see a set of three Elizabethan mysteries I'd not read in the discount bookshop where they sell new paperbacks at 3 for £5 when visiting Harrogate this afternoon. This is the second of the ones I bought - it's preceded by The Queen's Head and succeeded by The Trip to Jerusalem.

Amazon Editorial Review: "He had the power to assume a pleasing shape, but would he take to the stage? The audience was merry indeed when a third devilish imp bounded onstage to join the two that had been written into the script. But backstage all was uproar. The third demon seemed too much like the real thing. Even Nicholas Bracewell, the company mainstay, was shaken when, next time the play was given, only one devil appeared. The second, poor fellow, was now only a little red heap under the stage. Dead. Before the curtain rose again, Lord Westfield's Men would suffer the sermons of a Puritan fanatic, the enchantment of passion, the terror of a London madhouse, prophecies of a famous alchemist, and danger as they'd never known it before ..."

The Merry Devils is a play performed with rather drastic and unexpected special effects, by Lord Westfield's Men, stagemanaged by their book holder, Nicholas Bracewell. When the accidents start, who's behind the disasters and why? It's fun finding out!

On its way to France, delivered to the post office by Oldknees - it's too hot out there for me today!

I can't believe I didn't write a JE for this when it arrived. A belated thank you to Nu-Knees.

I hope the author writes more in this series. Great characters, lots of action and a quick page-turner with a twist or two at the end. I enjoy th use of a sort of modern rendition of Elizabethan English and sense of humour. Thank you s much for sending this on to me Nu-Knees. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I'm donating this one to the Phoenix Association (animal rescue) fund-raiser. For some reason historical novels don't seem to appeal to local readers at the OBCZ.

Picked up at the Phoenix Book Sale, very good read, although the ending was slighty confused - sending it back to UK.